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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Landon Donovan may have been displeased with his team's performance in the LA Galaxy's 4-1 loss to the Columbus Crew, but he was all smiles about the Crew's ceremony honoring the attacker prior to the match.

Flanked by Crew owner Andrew Percourt as well as former teammates Frankie Hejduk and Gregg Berhalter, Donovan appeared noticeably moved by the ceremony that included a video highlight reel of all of his goals at Crew Stadium and the presentation of a framed piece of the north net where the Galaxy midfielder scored the second goal in the USMNT's 2-0 victory over Mexico last September.

Despite a frustrating showing by the Galaxy, Donovan was moved by the honor.

"It was incredible. I don't know how many of you [reporters] were here when [Crew Stadium] was first built, but this became the home of soccer [in America] for many years. I have memories here for the U-17 national team, many games with the national teams as well as with the Quakes and the Galaxy against the Crew. I can't imagine another stadium that I've played in more throughout the league.

"I have a lot of very good memories here and I was very appreciative of them doing that. They certainly didn't have to and I certainly have a lot of respect for the Gregg [Berhalter] and the Crew organization."

But for all the kind words from Donovan, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena provided one of his trademark deadpan answers when asked if the ceremony was a distraction for the Galaxy.

"I would blame the entire game on the pregame ceremonies," Arena joked before going on.

"I think it is very nice. Landon has had a great career and to be recognized in these markets we go into, it is tremendous," he added. "Hopefully, the results don’t all end up like they did tonight, but It was a tremendous gesture on behalf of the Crew. We are very grateful for that."

Perhaps the most important matchup of the evening, Juninho -- and midfielder Marcelo Sarvas -- must be mindful of the dynamic Argentine who will seek to pull the LA midfielder out of position and create offense for the attack-minded Crew.

Gyasi Zardes vs. Michael Parkhurst

A battle of blistering speed and intelligent defensive positioning. Look for Zardes to attack Parkhurst early and often as he works in tandem with Robbie Keane to create space in the Columbus defensive end.

WHAT THEY SAID:

"It’s going to be an interesting matchup for us. They like to throw a lot of numbers into the attack and we like to as well. It’ll be important for us to maintain a good shape defensively and pick our spot where we can go at them." - Galaxy right back Dan Gargan on LA's game plan against the Crew.

Courtois, 35, confirmed to LA Galaxy Insider on Friday that he has retired from soccer in order to focus on a career in coaching. The player-coach announced via Instagram earlier in the week, that he'll be returning to France as he seeks to earn his coaching credentials from the French Football Federation.

In 2014, Courtois made 11 appearances for Los Dos while tallying two goals for the Galaxy's USL PRO affiliate.

"It has been an honor to play for a great club like the LA Galaxy over the past year," Courtois told LA Galaxy Insider on Friday.

Courtois hangs up his boots after an 16-year career that included stops in the top leagues in England, Spain, France and the United States. During his time as a professional, the Lyon Academy product played for such clubs as Ajaccio, Tolouse, West Ham United, Levante, and the LA Galaxy.

COLUMBUS, Ohio. --The LA Galaxy kicked off their week-long road trip on Friday morning by training at the Ohio State University.

As expected, the Galaxy brought a full squad for the trip that includes new addition Alan Gordon as well as Galaxy II stalwarts Rafael Garcia, Charlie Rugg and Raul Mendiola. Following training, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena addressed the Ohio State University Men's Soccer Team, who observed the 90-minute training session.

Landon Donovan will play at Columbus Crew Stadium for the final time on Saturday as he prepares to retire at the end of the season.

Donovan has enjoyed plenty of memories at the stadium for both club and country and because of his sterling career, he'll be honored prior to Saturday's match. In a video for TheCrew.com, Donovan discusses his memories of Columbus and his excitement to play in the venerable stadium one last time.

Both Jones and Ruiz were both instrumental in the Galaxy's U-16 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy title. During the Academy campaign, Jones, a center back, tallied 27 appearances for the Galaxy U-16 team while Ruiz scored 13 goals in 27 games played.

CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy will be up against an old friend and an unfamiliar foe when they take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday at Crew Stadium.

LA will be facing a Crew team that currently finds itself in the thick of the postseason chance with 27 points which is good enough for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Leading the Crew is former Galaxy center back and assistant coach Gregg Berhalter, who took the top job with Columbus in the offseason.

“They started off pretty strong, but they hit a little bit of a lull and have come back as of late and have played better,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “They’re a certainly a team that goes forward and attacks. As you look at them, you can see that their attacking scheme is built around [Fredrico Higuian] and rightfully so because he’s a terrific player and a great play maker.”

While Arena focused on the specific strengths that Columbus boast, Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan made a broader claim about the difficulties of facing Eastern Conference competition.

“The east games present a different challenge [because] stylistically [because the team’s play is different and we have to make sure that we are well prepared which we will be for Saturday,” said Donovan. “I think inn the west, teams put more emphasis on possession while the teams in the east are more direct.

“When I watch the [Eastern Conference] games, there’s not the same flow to the games as there is in the Western Conference games, it’s different, but we have to adjust.”

LA must use the match against Columbus as a chance to adapt to a different style of play as the club will play five of their last 14 games of the season against Eastern Conference opponents. As Arena’s side seeks to challenge for the Supporters’ Shield, the Galaxy boss believes that taking full points from their Eastern Conference is vital.

“It’s important that we take advantage of those kinds of games,” said Arena. “Because it’s likely that most of our opponents in the west are not getting three points. That’s just probability.